‘Daisy Miller’ (Dover Thrift Editions)
Daisy Miller by Henry James ****
I was so impressed by my reading of The Turn of The Screw that I could not wait to read another one of James’ books. I had no idea before I downloaded Daisy Miller to my Kindle that it was quite so short. This novella is not overly plot-driven, but the characterisation – the strongest element of the novel as far as I am concerned – is marvellous and more than makes up for the lack of action in its pages. An unexpected and beautifully written novella.
Miss Julie by August Strindberg **
I hoped I would enjoy this play more than The Father, which I read in October. Sadly, I didn’t even like it as much. The characters all felt a little flat to me – perhaps because the play itself was rather short and there was not enough space in which to develop them. Miss Julie is not a very memorable play by any means, and on the lack of strength of it, I shall not be picking up any more of Strindberg’s work in future.
Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan ****
I am so enjoying the Percy Jackson series. This book, as with the previous two, was so, so good, and I could not bear to put it down. As far as the storyline goes, I think this may be my favourite to date. I love the way in which figures from mythology are woven in, and the relevance within the story which Riordan gives to each one. Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse is well paced, well plotted and full of excitement. The character development too is great, and it really feels as though Percy is maturing as the series goes on.
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